Cultural Programme


Nanjing2011 Symposium Cultural Programme download pdf 3 pages 714 kb

SCHOOL VISIT

This is a pre-paid option

Visit to Nanjing Foreign Language School, Xianlin Campus (Monday, 24 October, 8:15am-12:00)
School Principal and Organiser: QIAN Tiefeng; NNU Organiser: QI Xuehong

Nanjing Foreign Language School, Xianlin Campus, is situated in the central district of Xianlin University Town. It has a total area of 350 mu, with the school buildings occupying 170 thousand sq. metres. Apart from teaching, residential and dining areas, it also has a sports centre, computer centre, ample internet connections, multimedia centre, technological activity centre, arts and craft centre, a drama centre, and assembly halls which are all incorporated into the best and most up-to-date technology.

The school is well situated, amidst other high-quality educational institutions, thus creating an academic environment which is conducive to learning. It is divided into primary, junior secondary and senior secondary sections and an international high school, comprising 105 classes and a student body of 4044. It accepts students from all over China. It was formally opened on 1 September 2003.

The school's philosophy and method of delivery place an emphasis on creating an ideal environment for the students, appropriate psychological learning situations and promoting good learning habits, in order to foster character-building and nurturing individual qualities of the students.

The school pays particular attention to curriculum design, with special emphasis on the teaching of English, computer-assisted learning, the incorporation of special activities and allowing free choice of subjects in the normal curriculum. The school is about to offer over one hundred optional subjects. Each year, it organises foreign languages, arts, sports, reading, technology as well as speaking festivals.

Special emphasis is placed on classroom teaching, with particular attention to individual learning. The teaching process involves that of joint teacher and student investigations, individual analysis and personal research. Thus, the school aims to foster democratic, independent and a broad education for equal opportunities.

POETRY

The Poets Among Us: an Evening of Original Poetry (Monday, 24 October, 7:45-9:15pm)
Organiser and Chair: Gay GARLAND REED

You are invited to a very special evening of original poetry on Monday, 24 October, directly following our first dinner together. Please join the 'The Poets among Us' who will gather to read original poetry. Presenters will share work, some related to the conference theme, in their native languages as well as English. Among the presenters will be Kristján KRISTJÁNSSON, reading in Icelandic and English, and TAN Chuanbao, reading in Chinese and English.

FILM

The Linnaeus Project Film Session: The Age of Stupid (Monday, 24 October, 7:30-9:30pm)
Presenters: Anna M. TAPOLA and Brigitte LATZKO

Our contemporary life is confronted with huge challenges related to a world population of seven billion. Can we provide food and healthcare for all? At the same time, we are facing climate changes that may threaten large numbers and areas of population. These climate changes appear to be driven by our way of living. How can we confront such gigantic global challenges? What about equity, equality and social justice? There are obviously no simple solutions to these complicated moral problems. This showing of the film, The Age of Stupid, is a prelude to a symposium in which we provide a detailed presentation of The Linnaeus Project, in which we address moral issues that are related to the survival of humanity, Nature, and our pluralistic globalised world. The film consists of both fiction and documentary. The fictional futuristic narrative poses the question: Why didn't we save ourselves when we had the chance? The documentary comprises examples from India, France and the UK, which highlight aspects of ongoing climatic changes threatening our common world. The film is about global challenges for humanity and what future potential scenarios humanity might need to face. The film should be interesting for researchers of moral education from all corners of the world. It is hoped to follow the film with a question and answer session with the film's director, Franny Armstrong, by Skype in London.

HUMAN BEINGS AND NATURE

Cultivating Gardens: a Comparative Exploration of Manifestations of Humans and Nature in Korean, Japanese, English and American Gardens (Tuesday, 25 October, 4:00-5:00pm)
Presenter: Helena MEYER-KNAPP

The Confucian notion of 'self-cultivation' is associated with moral development, including the development of proficiency in ritual. Gardens in public parks, at temples and in private homes suggest significant cross-cultural contrasts in how one might conceive of cultivation as daily work. This presentation compares the American yearning for a pure form of nature, as in 'wilderness ethics' and transcendentalist 'nature', with three different models of an unabashedly active human cultivation of nature in Japan, England and Korea. The comparisons will be with (1) A relatively static if seasonal sense of humans in nature, including continuous intimate interventions in the details, in Japan; (2) The fascination with floral display and the 1000 year-old system for registration of human land ownership in England; and (3) the sense of land, both wild and cultivated, as a source of food, evident in Korea.

CALLIGRAPHY

Calligraphy (Tuesday 25 October, 7:30-9:00pm)
Demonstrator and teacher: Jen-Chieh LIN

Did you notice the picture on our postcards and website? This was painted specially for the conference by Jen-Chieh LIN, Professor of Fine Art, Taiwan Normal University, who will be participating in the conference. You have a very special opportunity to learn something of the significance of calligraphy in Chinese culture and try your hand at it in a workshop. As Professor LIN writes,

Understand Chinese culture through learning ink painting and calligraphy
Discover the secret of four treasures—brush, ink cake, paper, and ink stone
Take a meaningful gift to your family—a special product you will create
Make a difference with Chinese art during the moral education conference!

Available for up to 30 participants (maximum); please sign up at the Registration Desk. A minimum charge of USD20 applies to cover cost of use of brush, paper, ink; a little more if you get hooked and wish to take the equipment home.

GAMES

Moral Games (Tuesday, 25 October, 7:30-8:15pm)
Facilitator: Darryl MACER

This workshop will illustrate games and exercises that can be used for moral education in different countries in a range of social and environmental circumstances, over a range of ages. How do we promote the creation of ideas for a moral citizen and individuality in an era of globalisation? The workshop will illustrate how the action plans for teaching philosophy developed at high level consultation meetings held across the world in 2010 can be used through a range of games. In teaching of ethics and philosophy there should not only be theoretical introductions, but also a variety of participatory activities to provide examples of ethical dilemmas, assist learners in ways to resolve dilemmas and identify ethical issues.

Dragons and Paragons: a Games-based Learning Approach to Exploring Character Development with Young People through Moral Dilemmas (Tuesday, 25 October, 9:00-9:30pm)
Facilitator: Robyn HROMEK

A 'board game' that explores character development by responding to moral dilemmas in the game will be presented. Cooperation and pro-social actions are encouraged by the dynamics of the game. During the game players develop their 'Paragon' by collecting character strengths and gain 'karma coins' by helping other players. Players use character strengths to beat the challenges of the Dragons while defusing the whispers of the Shadows (negative thought patterns). Participants will be invited to play.

STORIES

Nurturing Ideal Citizens of the State of Virtue: the Role of Wisdom Stories in Creating a More Compassionate, Pluralistic, Civil Society (Tuesday, 25 October, 8:30-9:30pm)
Presenter: Ralph SINGH

A session sharing stories from the award-winning Stories to Light Our Way, Journey to the World of Good, audio CD and study guide of stories from the world's sacred and secular traditions. These resources are being used by educators teaching multi-culturalism and character education in schools, by religious educators wanting to share more about the world's traditions to foster interfaith understanding, and by families who want to nurture good habits in their children. We learn about how people all over the world teach their children values, and also find that they hold these values in common. This leads to a better sense of being global citizens and a greater sense of responsibility for making the world a better place. You are invited to bring your own stories to share.

MUSIC AND SONG

Music and Song from Around the World (Wednesday, 26 October, 7:30-9:00pm)
Organisers and facilitators: JIN Shenghong and María-Cristina MORENO-GUTIÉRREZ

Come and listen to an impressive line up of talent, including:
• Members of the Music Department of XIAOZHUANG COLLEGE, Nanjing, will play traditional Chinese music on instruments such as Erhu, Suola, Zheng, Yangqing, Bamboo Flute
• Lauren GENEVIEVE (aged 12) singing some pieces from Western musical theatre and opera
• BAKELI on the Dongbula and singing songs from Xinjiang
• Kun Setyaning ASTUTI, Sri WENING and MARYANTI playing Indonesian traditional music on the Angklung
• María-Cristina MORENO-GUTIÉRREZ on Guitar and singing Cielito lindo, a popular Mexican song—join in the chorus

Bring other instruments and come in good voice!

DANCE

Traditional Chinese Dance (Thursday, 27 October, 6:00pm and 7:00pm during the Award Ceremony)
To open the Awards Ceremony, Rosa Hong CHEN, in traditional costume, specially commissioned for this performance, will dance 'A Beautiful Girl'. And at the end of the ceremony Rosa Hong CHEN and LIU Yunyun, will perform the 'Butterfly Dance' together. These dancers, both from Sichuan, have previously been awarded national prizes for their dancing and this performance has been specially choreographed by their friend, CHE Xiaoxia, a professional dancer and choreographer.

THEATRE

Shadow Play (Thursday, 27 October, 8:30pm, during the banquet)
Shadow puppetry originated in China in the Han dynasty as a form of story telling and entertainment. Puppets made of leather and moved on sticks in front of an illuminated background are used to tell dramatic versions of traditional stories and myths. They create the illusion of moving images. We shall have this very special entertainment during an interval of the banquet.

ACCOMPANYING PERSONS' PROGRAMME

(Tuesday, 25 October, Wednesday, 26 October, Thursday, 27 October, 10:00am-12:00)

It is hoped to arrange three 2-hour walking tours to nearby sites of interest in the Zijin Mountain area for family and friends accompanying conference participants. These will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings 10:00-12:00. They will be informally accompanied by local students, not full guides. A small charge will be made for the students' services and participants will be expected to pay any entrance fees. Please sign up at the conference registration desk. Gather in the hotel lobby at 10:00am.

POST-CONFERENCE FRIDAY EVENING

(Friday 28 October, 5:30pm onwards)

For those who will remain in the conference hotel on Friday evening 28 October we shall arrange an informal excursion to downtown Nanjing where we shall eat in a local restaurant. Please sign up at the conference registration desk. Gather in the hotel lobby at 5:30pm.

POST-CONFERENCE ONE DAY TOUR

(Saturday 29 October, 8:30am onwards)

For those who will remain on Saturday, 29 October it is hoped to arrange a one-day tour (about 1.5hrs each way) to the watertown of Yangzhou, at the junction of the Grand Canal and Yangtze River. Yangzhou was a scholarly, cultural and business centre in the Sui and Tang dynasties and has a network of canals and important gardens. We intend to have the services of an English-speaking guide and will have lunch en route. It is most likely that we shall leave the hotel around 8:30am and return in the early evening. If you are interested in this excursion please contact Monica J. Taylor regarding cost and arrangements.